Comparison of 4 blood storage methods in a protocol for equine pre-operative autologous donation.
Authors: Mudge Margaret C, Macdonald Melinda H, Owens Sean D, Tablin Fern
Journal: Veterinary surgery : VS
Summary
# Editorial Summary Mudge et al. (2004) investigated optimal storage protocols for equine autologous blood donation by comparing four methods—glass bottles with acid-citrate-dextrose (ACD), plastic bags with ACD, citrate-phosphate-dextrose (CPD), and CPD supplemented with adenine (CPDA-1)—over a 5-week storage period using blood from six healthy horses. Sampling at 2-day intervals tracked standard haematological and biochemical markers alongside ATP and 2,3-DPG concentrations normalised to total haemoglobin, revealing that whilst all storage methods showed expected increases in plasma haemoglobin, lactate, potassium and LDH alongside declining glucose and pH, CPDA-1 bags demonstrated superior red blood cell viability with significantly higher ATP concentrations and better preservation of 2,3-DPG—critical for oxygen delivery. Glass bottles produced the greatest degree of haemolysis over time, whilst CPD and CPDA-1 formulations showed higher lactate and ammonia levels indicating more active RBC metabolism, with CPDA-1 ultimately maintaining the most favourable metabolic profile. For practitioners establishing pre-operative autologous donation programmes, commercial CPDA-1 bags represent the gold standard storage method, offering meaningful advantages in maintaining viable red cell function should transfusion become necessary during or after surgery.
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Practical Takeaways
- •If implementing an autologous blood donation program, use CPDA-1 bags rather than glass bottles or other ACD/CPD containers to maintain red blood cell function for up to 5 weeks
- •CPDA-1 storage preserves the oxygen-carrying capacity of stored equine blood better than alternative methods, which is critical for transfusion effectiveness
- •The choice of storage container matters significantly—switch from glass bottles to plastic CPDA-1 bags to reduce hemolysis and improve stored blood quality
Key Findings
- •CPDA-1 storage resulted in significantly higher ATP concentrations and better preservation of 2,3-DPG compared to ACD (glass or plastic) and CPD methods
- •All storage methods showed increased hemolysis over 5 weeks, but glass bottles demonstrated the greatest increase in hemolysis
- •CPDA-1 samples showed the highest lactate and ammonia levels, indicating more active RBC metabolism and better cellular preservation during 5-week storage
- •Commercial CPDA-1 bags are the optimal storage method for equine whole blood based on improved RBC viability markers